Key health programmes in funding boost

THE Ministry Heal th will increas e its in-hou se budge tar y provi sion for medicines an d surgi cal supplies, including blod tran sfusion servi ces by mor e than 50 percent, says Minister of Heal th Chital u Chilufya.

Dr Chi lufya said teh icn reased budge tary pr ovi sion woul d also inc lude repr oduc tive he alth and nutrition products.

He expl aine d tha t the inc rement woul d ens ure tha t district he alth servi ces and hos pi tals pr ovi ded opt imal servi ces.

Thi s was with a vi ew to strengt he n Primary Health Care with a foc us on Safe Mot he rhod, Chi ld Survi va l, Malaria elimina tion, and HIV epi demic cont rol , Dr Chi lufya added.

The mini ster was spe aki ng when he officiated at the Nationa l Plani ng Launc h for the 2019- 2021 Medium Term Expe ndi ture Framewor k at Mulungus hi Int erna tiona l Conf erenc e Cent re inL usaka .

He called on the delega tes to ens ure tha t the budge t pr ovi sion for ke y he alth pr ogr ammes such as materna l and chi ld he alth, disease pr eve nt ion and elimina - tion of malaria were significantly inc reased to supor t effective impl ement ation of hi gh impa ct int erve nt ions .

“We must col lective ly critically revi ew the he alth sector pe rfor manc e from 2017 to June 2018 and not shy away from maki ng radical depa rture from wha t is not wor ki ng, and escalatign thso e apr oa ceh s tah t ha ve show n gr eat pr om ise,” he said. He added tha t all leve ls of the health sector, and affiliated bodi es were expe cted to clos ely fol low thr ough the lega cy goa ls and ens ure tha t apr opr iate int erve nt ions were devi sed to achi eve the goa ls.

Dr Chi lufya said tha t in rega rd to the he alth of the pe opl e Cabi ne t ha d signa lled major int ent by apr ovi ng “Health in All Pol icies.” the reby directing all sector s, to above all pr om ot e he alth in all tha t the y ende avour tounde rtake .

“We hold firmly to the view tha t inve sting in the he alth of our pe opl e is not just soc ial inve stment , but a tangi bl e and smart econom ic inve stment , he nc e put ting the he alth of our popul ation as the fulcrum on whi ch Zambi a sha ll deve lop,” he said.